What does asbestos have to do with mesothelioma?
The only known cause of mesothelioma in the United States is previous
exposure to asbestos fibers. Asbestos manufacturers knew about the hazards of
asbestos seventy years ago - but they kept this knowledge to themselves. The
first warnings given to workers exposed to asbestos were in the mid-1960s, and
they were terribly inadequate. Even today, workers are not always told they are
working around asbestos and are at risk for asbestos disease.
What can someone with mesothelioma do?
- Seek out the best and most up-to-date information.
- Seek out the best medical care.
- Early screening for mesothelioma diagnosis.
- Stay in close contact with your doctor.
- Consider whether or not you want to bring a lawsuit because of this
asbestos-related injury.
- Remember that resources are available to you through community and
medical support groups, asbestos victims' organizations, your place of
worship, as well as your family and friends.
How common is mesothelioma?
Although reported incidence rates have increased in the past 20 years,
mesothelioma is still a relatively rare cancer. About 2,000 new cases of
mesothelioma are diagnosed in the United States each year. Mesothelioma occurs
more often in men than in women and risk increases with age, but this disease
can appear in either men or women at any age.
What are the risk factors for mesothelioma?
Working with asbestos is the major risk factor for mesothelioma. A history of
asbestos exposure at work is reported in about 70 percent to 80 percent of all
cases. However, mesothelioma has been reported in some individuals without any
known exposure to asbestos.
Asbestos is the name of a group of minerals that occur naturally as masses of
strong, flexible fibers that can be separated into thin threads and woven.
Asbestos has been widely used in many industrial products, including cement,
brake linings, roof shingles, flooring products, textiles, and insulation. If
tiny asbestos particles float in the air, especially during the manufacturing
process, they may be inhaled or swallowed, and can cause serious health
problems. In addition to mesothelioma, exposure to asbestos increases the risk
of lung cancer, asbestosis (a noncancerous, chronic lung ailment), and other
cancers, such as those of the larynx and kidney.
Smoking does not appear to increase the risk of mesothelioma. However, the
combination of smoking and asbestos exposure significantly increases a person's
risk of developing cancer of the air passageways in the lung.
Who is at increased risk for developing mesothelioma?
Asbestos has been mined and used commercially since the late 1800s. Its use
greatly increased during World War II. Since the early 1940s, millions of
American workers have been exposed to asbestos dust. Initially, the risks
associated with asbestos exposure were not known. However, an increased risk of
developing mesothelioma was later found among shipyard workers, people who work
in asbestos mines and mills, producers of asbestos products, workers in the
heating and construction industries, and other tradespeople. Today, the U.S.
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) sets limits for acceptable
levels of asbestos exposure in the workplace. People who work with asbestos wear
personal protective equipment to lower their risk of exposure.
The risk of asbestos-related disease increases with heavier exposure to
asbestos and longer exposure time. However, some individuals with only brief
exposures have developed mesothelioma. On the other hand, not all workers who
are heavily exposed develop asbestos-related diseases.
There is some evidence that family members and others living with asbestos
workers have an increased risk of developing mesothelioma, and possibly other
asbestos-related diseases. This risk may be the result of exposure to asbestos
dust brought home on the clothing and hair of asbestos workers. To reduce the
chance of exposing family members to asbestos fibers, asbestos workers are
usually required to shower and change their clothing before leaving the
workplace.
People considering clinical trials may be interested in the NCI booklet
Taking Part in Clinical Trials: What Cancer Patients Need To Know. This booklet
describes how research studies are carried out and explains their possible
benefits and risks. The booklet is available by calling the CIS, or from the NCI
Publications Locator Web site at
http://cancer.gov/publications on the Internet.
Mesothelioma Lawsuit is the best way to find information about
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This web page takes the legwork out of finding great
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To your right you will find links to various
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We've taken the time to check out each and every featured Mesothelioma website to make sure they are quality sites, with quality information.
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and some incredible resources
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In our "Featured Mesothelioma Article"
section, you'll find an article related to Mesothelioma.
We will be providing you with updated and new featured articles on a regular
basis.
Additional
Mesothelioma links
2004 Asbestos Settlement
91303 Asbestos Firm Hills Law Woodland
Alabama Asbestos Lawyer Mesothelioma
Alabama Law Firm Asbestos Mesothelioma
Alaska Asbestos Lawyer Mesothelioma
Asbestos Cleveland Craig Lawyer Plaintiff
Asbestos Due Exposure Lawsuit
Asbestos Fibrous Law Non
Asbestos Information
Asbestos Lawyer California
Asbestos Management Plan
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Asbestos Mesothelioma Vermiculite
Asbestos Nottingham Removal
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Attorney County Lee Mesothelioma
Cover Asbestos Tile
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Port Charlotte Mesothelioma Lawyer
Virginia Mesothelioma Attorney
Mesothelioma
Mesothelioma is a rare form of
cancer in which malignant (cancerous) cells are found in the mesothelium, a
protective sac that covers most of the body's internal organs. Most people who
develop mesothelioma have worked on jobs where they inhaled asbestos particles.
What is the mesothelium? The mesothelium is a membrane that covers and protects
most of the internal organs of the body. It is composed of two layers of cells:
One layer immediately surrounds the organ; the other forms a sac around it. The
mesothelium produces a lubricating fluid that is released between these layers,
allowing moving organs (such as the beating heart and the expanding and
contracting lungs) to glide easily against adjacent structures. The mesothelium
has different names, depending on its location in the body. The peritoneum is
the mesothelial tissue that covers most of the organs in the abdominal cavity.
The pleura is the membrane that surrounds the lungs and lines the wall of the
chest cavity. The pericardium covers and protects the heart. The mesothelial
tissue surrounding the male internal reproductive organs is called the tunica
vaginalis testis. The tunica serosa uteri covers the internal reproductive
organs in women.
Mesothelioma -
Lung Cancer Link - Part 1
Yet the production process was
supposed to ensure that if any SV40 was present, it would be neutralized. When
Carbone tested the Soviet neutralization method, which relied on magnesium
chloride, he found it was only 95 per cent effective. Because of this, he
believes the Soviet vaccine could have remained contaminated until the early
1980s. In 1981, the Soviet Union switched to a polio vaccine seed provided by
the World Health Organization that was free from any SV40 contamination.
Carbone, the first to publish evidence of a link between SV40 and the deadly
lung cancer Mesothelioma (New Scientist print edition, 21 May 1994), will not
discuss his results further until they have been published. Officials from the
US Food and Drug Administration who attended the conference also declined to
comment, as the FDA is a defendant in lawsuits alleging that the
SV40-contaminated polio vaccine used in the US has caused cancer cases.
Diagnosis for
Malignant Mesothelioma Cancer: Screening
Explore the National Cancer
Institute's PDQ
The National Cancer Institute
provides a computer service called PDQ to give up-to-date information on cancer
issues for patients, their families, doctors, and other healthcare
professionals. Detailed information on detection, diagnosis, treatment, support
groups, clinical trials and treatments is reviewed and updated each month by
oncology experts. Each topic is discussed in two tracks, one for patients and
one for healthcare professionals.
You might want to visit the information written for patients first, in order to
get a clear understanding of the issues discussed in layman's terms. For more
detailed information, you can then explore the physician's track.
By going to NCI's CancerNet, you can research the PDQ informational summaries
for malignant mesothelioma; these summaries are written for both patient or
professional readers. You will also find a useful overview on researching,
treating, and coping with malignant mesothelioma.
You will find links to other treatment specific PDQ pages throughout this
website.
Here are some
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